Deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease: the Vanderbilt University Medical Center experience, 1998-2004

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has become increasingly popular to treat the symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) that are no longer adequately controlled by oral medications. This report summarizes safety and efficacy outcomes for 72 patients who underwent DBS surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center between September 1998 and December 2004. Efficacy was measured by reduction in anti-PD medications; patients saved an average of $2,292 per year after surgery. The most common adverse event was intracranial hemorrhage (12.5 percent), which led to permanent deficits in one patient (1.4 percent) and transient deficits in five patients (6.9 percent). The next most common event was DBS lead infection in seven patients (9.7 percent). Our experience provides further evidence that DBS is one of the safest and most effective treatments for PD patients suffering from motor complications.